Yamaha’s Raptor 250 – The EX Killer?

In stock trim the Raptor will outperform all of its 250 class competitors. At $1100 less than the 300EX we wondered how the Raptor would stack up if we invested the difference in price into some GYTR accessories. Recently, we tested Yamaha’s all new Raptor 250 and were extremely impressed with its all around performance. Click here for this first test. The machine is feather light, has excellent suspension and handling for the lighter smaller rider and offers quite a bit more performance than we expected from its simple engine design. Replacing the recently retired Blaster 200 two stroke, the Raptor 250 exceeds its stock performance in every way.

At the Raptor 250 Intro, Yamaha pointed out the performance advantages of the Raptor 250 compared to the other entry level 250cc sport machines. After riding the machine, we feel there’s no need to even conduct a 250c shootout to prove that the Raptor is the sportiest machine currently available in the 250cc class. The machine was so good in fact that we found ourselves wondering how it would stack up against slightly larger displacement machines like the Honda 300EX and Yamaha’s Raptor 350.

Yamaha Raptor 250 vs. Honda 300EX

Both the Raptor 250 and 300EX feature smaller ergonomics making them more attractive to younger or smaller riders. Also, both the 300EX and Raptor 250 are eligible choices for the Youth Production class in GNC and WPSA racing, where the 300EX has dominated since the inception of the class.

First off, there’s no getting around it, you’ll need to spend upwards of $12k in order to compete at the front of the pack in the Youth Production class. That’s a lot more money than most young riders can invest in a machine. Most of the Raptor 250s and 300EX sold will instead go head to head on trails and backyard tracks across America where the cost to compete is much more affordable, but the thrill of victory over your buddy is still just as sweet.

For 2008 the Honda 300EX received a few cosmetic and other detail changes, but nothing that really affected the machine’s overall performance. This year the EX retails for $4999 while the Raptor 250 sells for $3899. That’s a whopping $1100 difference in price. This means that the buyer standing in the dealer showroom can either purchase a stock 300EX or buy a Raptor 250 with $1100 worth of accessories for the same price.

If the Raptor performed well enough in stock form to make us wonder how it would compare to a 300EX we felt it would be fun to see of a Raptor 250 with $1100 in modifications could give the Honda a serious run for its money.

The Raptor already weighs 59.5 pounds less than the 300EX. A complete GYTR exhaust was installed to increase power and shaves an additional 2.2 pounds off the Raptor’s feather weight. Yamaha set us up with a brand new Raptor 250 and all the GYTR accessories the $1100 price difference would buy us. Getting a stock 300EX from American Honda wasn’t as easy so we explored other avenues to round up a new 300EX for this comparison.

Fortunately Nikki Earlywine of Earlywine ATV and Cycle was nice enough to let us borrow a mint condition bone stock 2005 Honda 300EX that she has for sale. Since we could not find a brand new Honda 300EX, a shootout wouldn’t be completely fair, however, we think a series of lap time comparisons could easily answers our questions of whether the Raptor 250 with $1100 worth of GYTR bolt on products could perform (or out-perform) the bigger 300EX.

On Paper

At 249cc the Raptor is actually only giving up 33cc to the 282cc 300EX. To its benefit, the Honda features a four valve head compared to the Raptor’s two valve head design. Most motor builders agree that a four valve head is more efficient at flowing intake and exhaust gasses, thus provides more horsepower. By the time you see part 2 of this comparison we will have a dyno chart comparing the stock horsepower of the two machines.

What does have a huge bearing on performance is the difference in weight. For 2008 Honda has not yet announced the weight of the 300EX, however the 2007 weighed in at 372.5lbs. The Raptor weighs in at 313lbs. That’s 59.5 pounds or 16% lighter than the 300EX. So the EX will have to make quite a bit more power than the Raptor to make up for its additional weight.

As far as the other numbers, The Raptor has 7.5 inches of front suspension travel compared to the Honda’s 7.1 inches. Out back both the Honda and the Yamaha share the same wheel travel at 7.9 inches. Both feature front and rear preload adjustability. The Honda is slightly longer with a 45 inch wheelbase compared to the Raptor’s 43.5 inch length. The Honda is slightly wider at 43.5 inches while the Raptor sits at 42.1 inches wide. The Raptor has a lower seat height at 28.7 inches compared to the Honda’s 30.5 inch height. This is partly due in part to the Raptor’s smaller 19 inch rear tires compared to the Honda’s 22 inch knobbies. Smaller tires and a lower seat height indicate a lower center of gravity for the Raptor although the Honda is a bit longer and wider. The Smaller tires on the Raptor mean a bit less ground clearance, 4.6 inches for the Honda and 3.9 inches for the Yammie.

Bonus GYTR Bolt Ons!

A GYTR billet aluminum adapter plate, high flow filter and pre filter let the Raptor to swallow more air. Increased air intake means more horsepower. The airbox lid will live on a shelf unless we plan on riding in wet conditions. As you can see, the two machines look very close in performance on paper, but now its time to put our $1100 in savings to work for us. Browsing through the Raptor Accessories on Yamaha-motor.com we put together a list of GYTR goodies to improve our machine’s performance and give it more durability on the trail to boot.

Believing, (but not yet confirmed) that the 300EX produces a bit more power than our stock Raptor we snagged a complete GYTR exhaust system, high flow air filter with pre filter and adapter plate and a GYTR jet kit to compensate for our increased intake and exhaust volume. The GYTR performance head pipe features stainless steel construction and an aluminum head shield. The GYTR silencer features a stainless steel inlet pipe, an anodized aluminum silencer body with a trick billet aluminum mount and a stamped oval tip. The exhaust features a removable USFS approved spark arrestor and is reasonably quiet with a 96 db rating. Additionally, the complete system shaves an additional 2.2lbs off the already lightweight machine.

If you change your ATV’s intake or exhaust like we did, you’ll need to change your jetting. Yamaha’s GYTR jet kit comes with a smaller needle, larger pilot and an assortment of larger main jets — helping to take some of the guess work out of jetting. For even further intake volume we tossed the air box lid on a shelf in the garage and installed Yamaha’s GYTR high flow filter and pre filter.

The GYTR filter, similar to a K&N filter in design requires the use of a GYTR billet aluminum adapter plate to mount it up instead of the stock filter’s butterfly nut. The new filter slides onto the flange of the adapter plate and is held in place by a metal strap which is screwed tight.

Whenever you change your machine’s intake or exhaust, unless your machine is fuel injected, you will have to address the carburetor jetting. Yamaha sells their GYTR Jet kit to complement the other performance enhancing modifications it sells. The kit comes with a smaller needle, larger pilot and an assortment of four larger than stock main jets.

Yamaha claims that the mods we used added together will yield a 15% increase in horsepower over stock with an 11% increase in top end power.

In rocky conditions, the Raptor’s stock skid plates cannot handle the abuse. On the other hand, the GYTR brushed aluminum skid plates are much tougher and will keep your expensive frame and other undercarriage components safe from harm.

The GYTR MX front bumper improves the looks of our machine and increases front end protection. The aluminum bumper is extremely light as well. In our opinion, the Raptor is one of the sharpest looking ATVs ever produced. And it looks even better with the addition of a GYTR MX front bumper. Constructed of light weight aluminum the bumper offers superior protection compared to the stock front bumper without adding much in the way of weight. To protect our flawless frame rails we installed a GYTR skid plate.

The plate features high quality aluminum construction with a brushed finish and is a must for trail riding if you want to keep that frame looking good.

To protect the rear of our undercarriage we installed a GYTR swing arm skid plate. Stock plastic skid plates lack adequate protection in rocky conditions. We expect the GYTR skid plate to last much longer, not to mention it looks like the perfect match for the Raptor’s aluminum swing arm.

 

Performance
Exhaust	GYTR SS Performance Head Pipe and Silencer	$474.90
Filter	GYTR  High Flow	$51.95
Pre Filter	GYTR	$19.95
Filter Adapter	GYTR Billet Adapter Plate	$59.95
Jet Kit	GYTR	$39.95
Protection
Bumper	GYTR MX	$148.95
Chassis Skit Plate	GYTR Brushed Aluminum Frame Skid	$114.95
Swing Arm Skid Plate	GYTR Swind Arm Skid Plate	$154.95
Price In Parts		$1,065.55
Total As Tested		$4,964.55

The Results
In total we spent $1065.55 in mods for our Raptor 250, bringing the total price of the machine with our accessories $4964.55, leaving us with enough money for entry fees to our favorite ride spot and dinner at the local greasy spoon on the way home. We think you’ll agree, with Christmas just around the corner the only thing better than a new Raptor 250 under the tree would be one decked out with all these cool GYTR parts.

For our head to head comparison you will have to check back in a week for part two of the story. For now we will tell you this much, yes the GYTR parts are well worth the money!

PART 2
A few weeks ago we brought you the first part of our GYTR Raptor 250 vs Honda 300EX comparison. For the $1100 difference in price between the two machines, we were able to outfit our Raptor 250 with a GYTR front bumper, skid plates, a complete GYTR exhaust, GYTR filter with pre filter and a billet adapter plate and a GYTR jet kit. We wound up going with a much richer main jet instead of the one provided in the GYTR jet kit. So before you head off to your ride spot thinking you’ve got it all covered be sure to check your jetting before or your 300EX mounted buddies will be roosting you.

With our jetting complete we wanted to do two closed course comparisons on both track and trail, however the weather in Ohio proved to be very uncooperative as it always is this time of year. With the ground saturated and covered in a dusting of snow, we had to skip the trail portion of our comparison and took our GYTR outfitted Raptor to Earlywine Indoor Motocross Park, our favorite place to ride when we can’t ride outside.

Due to the fact that companies like Honda don’t see any value in online ATV publications, Nikki Earlywine was cool enough to lend us a bone stock late model 300EX for our comparison. Fortunately the 300EX was in mint condition so no manufacturers can claim that our test was unfair in any way. Keep in mind though, this test is not a shootout, we are not saying that one machine is better than the other, we are simply making an overall judgment on performance based on lap time comparisons. To make sure that both machines would be ridden to their limits without crashing, we acquired the services of Pro-Am racer Team Media Allstar’s Aaron Meyer, an expert rider to say the least.

A complete GYTR exhaust, filter setup and jet kit are said to give the Raptor 250 15% more midrange and top end power over the stock Raptor 250. After testing the products ourselves we whole heartedly agree to the increase gain.

The Test
We showed up at the track late one evening just before closing. We wanted the track to ourselves to make sure that our lap times were unaffected by traffic. For our comparisons we were going to allow Aaron a few minutes to get acquainted with each machine before we started timing him. We then timed a three lap moto on each machine making sure that Aaron put in his best possible run on each machine before we accepted the lap times as final.

Up first was the Honda. Aaron looked surprisingly fast on the EX. Despite its 60 pound disadvantage, Aaron was able to hit a double that he could not clear a week before on the Stock Raptor. Aaron commented, “The Honda feels like it has a bit more grunt than the Raptor even with the GYTR mods.” That extra bottom end gave the EX a bit more acceleration than the stock Raptor once the EX had exited the turn. Once the 300 worked its way past its low end power, Aaron felt that the Honda lost its advantage in the power department. Aaron commented, “The 300EX might have had a bit more torque, but it didn’t’t seem to build RPMs as fast as the Raptor 250, whether the Raptor was stock or not.”

Through the whoops the Honda struggled a bit. Aaron managed to pack the EX’s front shocks and thought he actually scrapped the front frame rails on the face of the whoops a few times. With the 300’s larger tires and super plush suspension, the 300EX was held back a bit in the corners. The Honda was aided a bit by the fact that Earlywine’s has so many banked turns which helped keep all four wheels on the ground. Even still, we often saw Aaron unable to keep the machine planted through the turns, whether they were flat or banked.

With our GYTR mods installed, our Raptor test unit is tricked out and still costs less than a stock 300EX. A wise purchase if you ask us.

The GYTR Raptor put a lot of time on the EX in the rough stuff. While the EX front shocks would sometimes pack in the whoops the Raptor’s performed admirably. When Aaron crossed the finish line for the third time, the 300EX had scored 1:59:02 for its moto. Honestly, the 300EX exceeded our expectations considering its extra weight. Looks like the few extra horsepower and torque that the Honda has over the Raptor plays to its advantage as far as lap times, however it didn’t’t make the Honda any easier to throw around on the track or through the air.

Up next was our GYTR equipped Raptor. While Aaron was warming up, he realized that one of the doubles he wasn’t’t able to clear a week before he could now successfully jump with the extra power provided by the GYTR exhaust and filter kit.

With the lap times underway, Aaron dropped the hammer and immediately noticed how much better the Raptor’s suspension worked compared to the Honda’s. “The Raptor’s suspension is definitely better than the Honda’s, especially the front shocks. I was able to charge the whoops as hard as some riders do on their 450s!” While we’re not claiming that the suspension on the Raptor 250 is on par with the YFZ450, we can say that for an aggressive 145 pound rider, the Raptor’s suspension definitely worked much better than the Honda’s did.

Through the turns the Raptor once again cleaned house! Its firmer suspension settings and superior 19 inch rear Dunlop tires do a lot to help keep the Raptor on all four wheels and driving while exiting turns. This was especially noticeable on flat turns where Aaron was able to be much more aggressive on the Raptor than he was on the Honda.

The Honda may be a bit wider, but the Raptor makes up for this with a lower center of gravity and weighs 60 pounds less!

The Raptor 250’s stock plastic skid plates might be good enough if you only plan on riding your machine on the track, however if you have trail time in your future, GYTR’s skid plates and MX front bumper offer a substantial improvement in protection.

Not only does the GYTR front bumper protect the sharp-looking Raptor, as you can see here, it looks killer! In the power department the Raptor still felt as though it didn’t’t quite have the low end grunt of the 300EX, however with the Raptor’s improved mid range power and top end over-rev, Aaron felt that he could have smoked the 300EX in a drag race.

Aaron told us, “All you have to do is stay on the gas and work the gearbox,. The GYTR Raptor is way faster than the Honda.”

Aaron crossed the line for the third lap at 1:54:02 five seconds faster than the Honda. That is a considerable margin considering how short the laps are on Earlywine’s indoor track.

On a large outdoor track, that could have easily been four or five seconds per lap! With our tests in the books we can conclude that the GYTR Raptor 250 indeed smokes a stock Honda 300EX!

 

Performance
Exhaust	GYTR SS Performance Head Pipe and Silencer	$474.90
Filter	GYTR  High Flow	$51.95
Pre Filter	GYTR	$19.95
Filter Adapter	GYTR Billet Adapter Plate	$59.95
Jet Kit	GYTR	$39.95
Protection
Bumper	GYTR MX	$148.95
Chassis Skit Plate	GYTR Brushed Aluminum Frame Skid	$114.95
Swing Arm Skid Plate	GYTR Swind Arm Skid Plate	$154.95
Price In Parts		$1,065.55
Total As Tested		$4,964.55

 

King of the corners! The Raptor 250 gets through the turns faster than the Honda thanks to its lower CG and superior ergonomics which make it easy to move around on the machine. During timed three lap motos the Honda turned in a 1:59:02 while the Raptor 250 stopped the clock at 1:54:02 a full five seconds faster! It’s faster, its lighter and it still costs less than the 300EX. When it comes to performance, the GYTR Raptor is indeed king.

What’s it all mean?
As we said earlier this is not a shootout. The Honda’s softer suspension with larger tires might lend themselves to a trail rider who is more concerned about slow speed plushness rather than all out performance. However, we feel that most riders who are considering either of these machines are most likely younger and looking to move up in the future.

Stock vs. Stock the Raptor is lighter and handles better than the Honda. With all of the GYTR goodies we added to our Raptor, it is still lighter and better handling only now it’s more durable on the trail thanks to the GYTR skid plates and front bumper. In addition it’s now considerably faster thanks to the GYTR exhaust, filter and jet kit.

At a total price of $4964.55 the GYTR Raptor definitely outperformed the 300EX. And there’s even enough money left over for fuel to ride all weekend.

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